Food shortage imminent – Senior Economist predicts
Food shortage is imminent during the later part of this year and spread to next year Mr. Habibu Adam, a Senior Economist at the office of the Senior Presidential Advisor has predicted stressing that the continued global food shortage during the latter part of this year and 2023 is attributed to the Russia-Ukraine war. Due to the shortage of fertilizer as a result of the ongoing war the world is gradually moving into a food crisis stage adding that already, the United Nations and the World Food Programme have hinted of it and asked countries to brace themselves for the worst, as there would be a food shortage globally. Mr Adam who was speaking on the Ghana News Agency-Tema Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue platform revealed that “looming food danger is not associated with any particular government, it’s a global phenomenon, there is likely to be food shortage next year beginning from this year onward”. The GNA Tema Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue is a media think-tank platform for state and non-state and commercial and business operators to communicate to the world and address global issues, which was monitored by the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) at Tema. Speaking on the theme, “Effects of Russia and Ukraine war on the global economy: prospects and challenges for Ghana,” Mr. Adam said to mitigate the effect of the war, the government was looking at alternative sources to substitute the fertilizer to enable farmers to produce the needed food for the country. The Senior Economist said apart from the fertilizer-related issues, the war had also led to the shortage of some essential things including fuel, grains, platinum, as well as lithium, nickel, and cobalt which were metals used in electric vehicles (EV) batteries. Mr Adam said Russia and Ukraine were among the world’s largest exporters of cereal crops and oils accounting for more than 30 per cent of global grain comprising wheat, maize, and barley exports. He added that while Ukraine supplied half of all sunflower oil, and is said to be one of the world’s largest contributors to the World Food Programme (WFP) accounting for 40 percent of its wheat supplies. He said it has also increased inflation rates of countries worldwide, saying the March 2022 inflation of 19.4 per cent in Ghana was the highest since August 2009 , the US inflation of 8.5 per cent was the highest in 40 years, and that of the UK’s seven per cent inflation was their highest in 30 years. Mr Adam explained that such high inflations had resulted in rising interest rates and their effects on the economies of the world, explaining that the US for instance increased its interest rate by one per cent, which was the highest in 22 years. He said “as a result of this high cost of living due to the war, it is reported that more than two million Britons cannot afford to eat every day. Another report also indicates that about 1.5 million people in the UK will struggle to pay their bills. This statistic is similar across the world except that the UK published their faster”. The Senior Economist said this might likely trigger outflows of investments out of Africa and exacerbate the depreciation of African currencies. In a related development, the Centre for Greater Impact Africa (CGIA) has called on the government to consider the Russia-Ukraine war as a potential blessing rather than blaming it for the country’s economic challenges. The Reverend Dr Samuel Worlanyo Mensah, Executive Director of the CGIA explained that the war has championed an increase and an increment in crude oil prices on the international market, and Ghana being an oil-producing country could leverage it to make more money from the sale of its crude oil. “It has a created a platform to generate more revenue, and by this time the Finance Ministry should have been telling Ghanaians how the country would make some extra 40 per cent on its annual oil revenue,” he said. Rev. Dr Mensah was speaking at the Ghana News Agency Tema Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue, which was on the topic: “Global economy, Russia and Ukraine war, prospects and challenges for Ghana.” He explained that pushing the national economic woes on the ongoing war was just a political move rather than an economic fact.
Afoko trial: You’re untruthful – Defence lawyer to Investigator
Defence lawyers of Gregory Afoko, the 53-year-old farmer who has been charged together with one other for the murder of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Upper East Regional Chairman have accused the police investigator of “being untruthful” to court. Lawyer Stephen Sorwah Charway, lead counsel for Afoko while subjecting the investigator, Chief Inspector Augustus Nkrumah, 16th Prosecution Witness (PW16), accused him of not telling the court the truth of the police investigations. Counsel had raised doubt about the circumstances leading to how the said liquid substance in a gallon purported to be the acid substance was “loosely” transported to Accra from Bolgatanga. Afoko, and one Asabke Alangde are currently before the High Court in Accra standing trial for allegedly pouring a substance believed to be acid, which subsequently led to the death of the NPP Regional Chairman Adams Mahama. They have both pleaded not guilty to murder and conspiracy and have been held in lawful custody Under further cross-examination, before the Court presided over by Her Ladyship Justice Afua Merley Wood, led counsel for Afoko, accused the investigator, Chief Inspector Augustus Nkrumah of peddling lies in court. “I’m putting it to you that you are not being truthful to the court. What you are telling the court is just not plausible,” counsel said. But, the witness denied such claims, saying “I’m being truthful to the court.” It was the case of counsel that, the witness tendered in evidence that, the clothing and shoes of the deceased were soaked in acid. Counsel explained again that, these clothing and shoes were the items according to the investigator were worn by the deceased on the night of the incident. But, upon all that, the feet of the late NPP Chairman had no injuries if indeed his shoes were soaked in acid. In his response, the investigator said, “that is what the Bolga Police team told the Accra team when handling over the case to them.” The investigator said, as professionals, the Accra team took them for their worth. Per the Pathologist’s report, it was conclusive that, the deceased did not suffer any injuries to his feet, a development counsel described as “strange.” But, Chief Inspector Nkrumah said, “it depends on the type of shoes the deceased was wearing and once it was the Bolga police that called on the scene and had access to that exhibit as the one the deceased wore on that day, we collected same from them and subjected same to forensic examination. As to why the feet, was not wounded, I cant explain, as I am sitting here.” Asked by counsel again to tell which type of shoes he considers it to be, he said, “Although I am not an expert, I am referring to the texture of the shoes.” As an investigative officer, he said, he wouldn’t know how the acid found it way into the shoes of the deceased when asked by counsel to tell the court. Acid gallon covered with Cellotape It was also the case of the investigator that, it was PW8 (Wife of the deceased), who found the gallon at the crime scene and gave to the Bolga team. “According to the Bolga team, the deceased wife told them and that she found that exhibit on the floor beside the car door where the deceased was sitting,” he noted. The investigator told the court that, when the Bolga team was handing over the exhibit to them (Accra team), “they had covered it with a cellotape.” But when his attention was drawn that, the gallon he tendered in evidence in the trial had no cellotape on it, the witness offered explanation. “I believe when it was sent for forensic examination, that was where it must have been opened in order to have access to the substance,” he explained. When Counsel sought his explanation that, even though Exhibit ‘W’ (gallon) did not have a cover at the time it was retrieved, was he suggesting that, it was official at GSA who took out the cellotape and placed a cover on it? The witness said, “If exhibits are sent to the GSA, and were being brought back to the police after examination, they have a way of sealing them. It can be opened when the exhibit is being tendered in court.” Asked to tell the court if the police were comfortable with the GSA changing the state of gallon in the way they saw fit and different to the way in which the exhibit was presented to them for examination, the witness said he “presumed” so. “The exhibit was the same gallon containing the liquid substance and as experts on the field, knowing how dangerous that chemicals will be, that is why I presumed they did it that way.” “I presumed that is how they handle their issues. Because if exhibits are being sent to them, the police have a seal on it, after they have received and examined it, they bring it back to the police and they also have a way of preserving it,” he said to buttress his answer. He told the court that, the time exhibit ‘W’ (gallon) was retrieved by the police, there was some liquid substance and “was transported safe” to Accra. Lawyer Charway then put to him that, by transporting a gallon containing a liquid substance suspected to be acid in it, and with it being covered “loosely” with just a cellotape, there was a tendency for “spillages and splashes” when it’s in transit. The investigator said, “The police knowing very well the content it was, made sure that, it arrived safely without any splashes or spillages. It was at this point that counsel put it to the investigator that, “you are not being truthful to the court” and that, what he was telling the court is just not plausible. But, the investigator said, “I’m being very truthful to this court.” No demonstration The Investigator also told the court that, the wife of the late Adams Mahama who was
IEAG blames GUTA for high cost of doing business in Ghana
The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has pointed its hands at the leadership of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) for being the genesis behind the high cost of doing business in Ghana. The Executive Secretary, Mr. Asaki Samson Awingobit made the allegation in a statement signed and dated May Friday 13, 2022. Read the full statement below: I have taken my time to visit and interact with some business operators, and many of them admit losing huge revenue between January, this year to date on their sales by a huge percentage negatively with some losing about 40% or more in terms of their monthly sales. Again, prices of goods have gone up by 30% in all sectors and consumers’ purchasing power has dropped drastically. All these hardships and challenges largely have to do with GUTA’s endorsement of the government’s unwarranted and insensitive policies toward trading. Since the inception of this government, the current GUTA leadership has never succeeded in kicking against any of its policies. Any time my Association kick against some government’s bad policies, the government then runs to GUTA, or GUTA will go there to say they control traders in this country, yet they can’t defend their members and end up being compromised and rather praise the government, putting their own members into distress. Almost all the policies the government has introduced and implemented have received the blessings of GUTA, yet, they will leave the meeting grounds, go into the market, and behave like saints and are innocent or ignorant of what is happening to the business community. The way and manner the current GUTA Executives are treating the government and some of its unfriendly trade policies leave one to wonder if the current GUTA executives are not directly and personally not benefiting from the government at the expense of their members and the cherished trading public. Let me, therefore, caution that until this current GUTA leadership acknowledges that they are leaders because of their members, and not that they are too powerful or knowledgeable than some of us who always stand firm to oppose certain policies by the government not because we hate the government but rather recognize that we have to protect the interest of our constituent, the hardship the business community is facing will be worse. Until the current GUTA leadership change and realize that they are not Leaders on their own and therefore cannot take decisions all the time on their own, but rather need to consult with their membership including sister associations like the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, and the freights forwarders, we will still have these problems at hand in the Ghanaian Trading Environment. It must therefore be placed on record that GUTA is responsible for the difficulties all Ghanaian businesses are going through by accepting and allowing the implementation of some government insensitive policies. We are by this statement calling on all the importers and traders in this country to put pressure on the current GUTA leadership to sit up and think of the plight of traders instead of bowing to the whims and caprices of the current government all the time. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
“I died in my boots”–NPP Chairman confessed after defeat
The incumbent chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Anthony Kofi Mensah has accepted losing the constituency election as he congratulates the newly elected NPP constituency Chairman Mr. David Samari. According to the incumbent Chairman Mr. Kofi Mensah’s post on Meta, he said: “I died in my boots”. Handover to happen soon. Immediately after the Constituency election result was declared on Thursday, May 12, 2022, at the C.K Tedam University, Mr. Kofi Mensah announced that handing over will be done soon. Mr. David Samari just like what Arsenal did to Chelsea and Manchester United weeks ago, defeated Anthony Kofi Mensah with 420 votes, leaving only 256 of the votes to the incumbent Kofi Mensah. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Use MoMo ¢200 in 2 days to avoid e-levy zero impact–Ken Ofori-Atta to doomsayers
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has recommended to some aggrieved Ghanaians complaining about the controversial e-levy charges to change GHc 200.00 in two days to avoid being victims of the charges. He said: “ if you have GH¢200, I am sure you can do it in two days and, therefore, there will be a zero-impact”, he recommended The 1.5 per cent levy on some electronic transactions does not affect mobile money transfers under GHS100. Mr. Ofori-Atta told journalists at a press conference on Thursday, 12 May 2022: “I think we pretty much have it under control, as much as we can”. “We started on May 1, we were blessed with that being a period of holidays for three, four days, so, we saw the issues and began to tackle them,”. “We are a country moving really forward”, adding: “We know our salaries are not that high so truly, most of those that people advocate as regressive taxes are not affected at all”. He added: “We are truly excited about this new tax handle to look at issues of curing auction failures, increasing our revenue mobilization, getting technology and gradually moving into an economy in which, really, people just don’t use cash because it’s much easier to continue with technology,”. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Navrongo: Results and all you need to know about NPP constituency election
Thursday’s results of the Navrongo central constituency elected New Patriotic Party (NPP) executives have brought some interesting changes as far as leadership of the party in the area is concerned. Apexnewsgh.com report The election was initially suspended by the party after some reasonable concerns about missing names from the register were raised by some qualified delegates who believes the right thing must be done. Meanwhile, the results for the Chairmanship position came as shock to many, especially with the huge gap seen between Mr. David Samari and the incumbent chairman Anthony Kofi Mensah. Mr. David Samari just like what Arsenal did to Chelsea and Manchester United weeks ago, defeated Anthony Kofi Mensah with 420 votes, leaving only 256 of the votes to the incumbent Kofi Mensah. However, information gathered from some party members in the area indicates that the late Kofi Addah even his grave influenced delegates to choose the right executives for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Navrongo Central constituency. Below are the Navrongo NPP Constituency results CHAIRMAN 1 ANTHONY KOFI MENSAH – 256 2 DAVID SAMARI – 420. Rejected ballot – 2 1ST VICE CHAIRMAN 1 JONATHAN BALOBA – 226 2 JACOB DAYELLE NCHOR -451 Rejected ballot: 1 2ND VICE CHAIRMAN 1 THOMAS AYUDOBA – 249 2 DENNIS MINYILA – 427 Rejected Ballots: 2 YOUTH ORGANIZER 1 AARON LAGEDAM – 273 2 GILBERT BAWOLORIKO – 120 3 DANIEL BAYIVERE – 277 9 rejected ballots. TREASURER 1 CAESAR KWOSE- 396 2 CAESAR S. AWEPUGA – 279 Rejected 2. SECRETARY 1 MOSES A. AMOAH – 417 2 SAIBU S.D. SLANWIAH – 258 Rejected Ballot: 2 WOMEN ORGANIZER 1 GRACE AKUA ALEGEWE – 278 2 OPHELIA PHILOMENA AOVARE – 394 4 rejected ballots. NASARA COORDINATOR 1 ALHAJI HALIM BAWAH AYONGO -267 ADAMS ABDUL-GANIU – 407 4 rejected ballots. YOUTH ORGANIZER 1 AARON LAGEDAM – 273 o2 GILBERT BAWOLORIKO – 120 3 DANIEL BAYIVERE – 277 9 rejected ballots. ORGANIZER Godfred Aweligiya – 272 David Anafo – 404. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093